The Best Celebrity Mug Shots
If you’re looking for the best celebrity mug shots, you’ve come to the right place. Nationwide, law enforcement captures celebrity mug shots of famous actors, actresses, musicians, and politicians at their worst. Often, arrests occur when movie stars are amid alcohol or drug abuse binges or altercations with their spouse or significant other.
As a result, they take some embarrassing, surprising, and hilarious mugshots and arrest photos. We collected some of the more notorious and famous celebrity mug shots below for viewing. In many cases, police detain and incarcerate celebrities on multiple occasions. We chose the best (or perhaps worst) photo in those situations.
If there’s one thing celebs know is how to get arrested and take a great booking photo.
Note: We add new celebrity mug shots all the time. So, be sure to check back for updates. Please comment below if you have questions about our celebrity mug shots list. Also, if you’d like to learn more, please continue reading.
Mug Shots
Donald Trump
Donald Trump surrendered to authorities at the Fulton County Sherriff’s Office in Atlanta, Georgia, on Thursday, August 24, 2023.
Charlie Sheen
The cops busted Charlie Sheen in Aspen, Colorado, in December 2009. The charge was domestic violence.
Irv Gotti
In August 2003, the police took Irv Gotti into custody in Cali. The police charged Gotti with possessing a controlled substance.
John Mayer
John Mayer, after his arrest on May 26, 2001, for driving with a suspended license in Atlanta.
Kiefer Sutherland
Kiefer Sutherland surrendered to the Glendale Police Department in December 2007 to serve a 48-day jail sentence. He pled no contest to driving under the influence.
Lauryn Hill spent three months in prison and three months in home confinement for not paying taxes on approximately $1 million of her earnings.
In 1996, Lil’ Kim (Kimberly Jones) was taken in by the New Jersey police department for possession of marijuana.
In 2008, rapper Lil’ Wayne (Dwayne Carter) was arrested for felony drug possession in Arizona. This was one of many run-ins he had with the law.
The California Highway Patrol (CHP) sent Actor Nick Nolte to the slammer in 2012 for driving under the influence (DUI).
Paris Hilton
Paris Hilton was arrested multiple times in 2007 for reckless driving and violating the terms of her probation.
Porsha Williams
Porsha Williams turned herself in glamorous fashion to the Fulton County Sheriff’s department. The police booked her on a simple battery misdemeanor charge.
Actor Robert Downey Jr. was arrested several times. In this photo, taken in 1999, Downey served time at the California Department of Corrections on drug charges.
July, 202: R. Kelly was indicted on 21 counts of child pornography.
On 16 September 2010, Russell Brand was arrested on suspected battery charges after allegedly attacking a paparazzo.
Steven Tyler
New York, 1995 – Tupac Shakur was convicted of felony sexual abuse. He was sentenced to 18 to 54 months in prison.
Vince Vaughn
In 2001, North Carolina police arrested Vince and charged him with fighting in public for his part in a bar brawl.
In 1996 and 1997, actor Wesley Snipes was detained and charged with fraudulently claiming tax refunds of nearly $12 million in income taxes. Also, he was charged with failing to file tax returns from 1999 through 2004.
The police busted Willie Nelson several times. In this photo, he was taken in for possession of marijuana in 2010 after U.S. Border Patrol agents pulled over his tour bus in Sierra, Texas. Willie was not paying attention when they took his picture.
Actor Woody Harrelson was nailed for Disturbing the Peace by Columbus, Ohio police in 1982. Mr. Harrelson was found dancing in the street and tried to run away from the cops. He was fined for the incident.
Wynonna Judd
In November 2003, police arrested country singer Wynonna Judd in Nashville, Tennessee, for drunk driving.
In 2006, Yanni was charged with domestic abuse in Palm Beach, Florida.
Young Jeezy
In this booking photograph, the police arrested Jeezy for several charges after a fight with his son. Charges included false imprisonment, battery, and terroristic threats during a battle with his son.
What is a Mugshot?
A mugshot, also commonly spelled as two words “mug shot”, arrest photo, or police booking photograph, is a photographic portrait image that the police take after an arrest. Taking a mug shot allows law enforcement personnel to have a photographic identification record of the arrested individual for identification by victims and police investigators.
The Mugshot Booking and Photograph Process
Most mugshot photos consist of a front-view photo of the individual and a side-view photo of the individual (also called a profile shot). Usually, the photo captures only the upper part of the torso and the face/head. However, this may vary by jurisdiction.
Only one person is photographed at a time, regardless of how many people were arrested in the incident. There are never group photos.
Where did the term originate?
If you’re wondering where the term originated, mug shot is originally derived from the word “mug,” an English slang term for a human face. The use of the word dates back to the 18th century. Also, the term Mug was trendy in mafia-style movies, where unattractive people were often referred to as having an “ugly mug.”
Before modern advancements in computer technology and image processing, an accused person had to physically hold a card in front of them that showed their name. Usually, the card shows the current date and other information relative to the individual and/or the precinct in which they were arrested. Today, digital photography is used in the mugshot and booking process. As a result, the accused individual does not have to hold the card while the photo is taken. The additional information is added to the photos digitally.
After the individual’s picture is taken by the law enforcement officer or processing clerk, the digital identification photograph is linked to a law enforcement database containing the identifying information pertinent to the individual and the arrest. This allows law enforcement and intelligence agencies nationwide to pull up a photo of the individual whenever needed quickly.
Federal Records
Federal booking photographs and mug shots are entered into the public domain in the United States and can be obtained under the Freedom of Information Act. Open public access is constantly debated in the courts as to whether the photos are considered “embarrassing and humiliating information.” Some believe the photos automatically associate the individual with “guilt and criminality.
In certain exceptional cases, the mugshot of the arrested individual is sealed along with the arrest record. Learn how to Search Police Records.
Where to find mug shots for regular citizens?
There are several options to find police booking photographs for public citizens. First, you can visit an aggregation site that aggregates the photos from multiple sources and makes them available via a site search engine or a navigation directory, usually organized by state. This approach allows you to visit a single site to conduct your search.
However, the downside is that since these sites are not the source of the images, they may not always be accurate and current. Second, you can go directly to the source. To do this, you’ll need to determine who publishes the mugs in the area you need to search. For example, the Department of Corrections handles the publication in some states. In other states, the State Police Bureau offers a searchable database online.
Importantly, remember that not all states make the information online, so it is impossible to find everyone incarcerated. In addition, at many of these search sites, you’ll also be able to look up inmates who have been processed through the Department of Corrections.
Also, it is essential to note that just because someone has their mugshot online does not mean they are guilty.
Image Disclaimer: A booking photograph or “mugshot” of a county jail inmate is a public record under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Photos taken by federal law enforcement agencies (e.g., the FBI) are in the public domain. They are not protected by copyright law.